The principal activities of the Assembly Technology involve precision and micro assembly, contactless handling of sensitive parts, such as solar cells, flat panels or dice, as well as handling of flexible components. By bringing together our knowledge and expertise in assembly planning, assembly design, control theory, robotics, automation, micro assembly and ultrasonic technology, we are designing innovative solutions for industrial assembly in multiple size scales. Specifically, we are developing novel techniques that find potential industrial applications. Process reliability, system flexibility and performance are all critical to a successful commercial deployment. Therefore, we take these and other factors into consideration during the design and deployment of new solutions.

Our group is therefore divided into three main research teams with a rich set of competences:

Precision Assembly: Due to the limited transferability of the techniques used in macro assembly into micro assembly applications, we investigate the fundamentals of semi-automated and automated assembly of small components in the range of sub-millimetre. Our current focus includes methods for modular design of feeding systems, automated assembly systems and machines, and methods to facilitate demanding manual micro assembly tasks with small batch sizes.

Contactless Handling: The continuing trend towards miniaturization and maximum yield requires new technologies to handle the smaller and more sensitive components. Therefore we employ an innovative approach based on ultrasonic vibration to deal with these challenges. This allows a contactless handling of thin wafers and chips for micro system technology and even the levitation of larger components, such as glass panels.

Technology and equipment for shape variable products: The handling of flexible components such as carbon fiber textiles for composite structure production is usually performed manually and it is still challenging to automate. Against this background, we are designing novel approaches and technologies for the automation of gripping, transporting and draping such flexible components.

Our research is funded principally by European Commission, German Research Foundation (DFG), Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Bavarian Research Foundation, as well as several bilateral industrial projects with industrial partners.